HB2 to be repealed? Residents, state representatives react

by Kimberly King

As North Carolina Republican state representatives continue to meet and talk Monday night, it's expected that legislators will meet Tuesday in Raleigh to vote on what is expected to be a repeal of HB2. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)

ASHEVILLE, NC (WLOS) - As North Carolina Republican state representatives continue to meet and talk Monday night, it's expected that legislators will meet Tuesday in Raleigh to vote on what is expected to be a repeal of HB2.

While she feels it's a victory that the law will be repealed, she said she has ongoing concerns about what laws the Republican Statehouse majority may pass in 2017.

Allison Scott, a spokeswoman for Asheville LGBTQ advocacy group Tranzmission said she has mixed emotions about the repeal. She said there is much more to equal rights for her community than just repealing HB2.

"LGBTQ people still have no rights or protections under the law," said Scott. "It is still legal in North Carolina to hire or fire people based on being in a group that we call LGBTQ."

Republican state Representative Chuck McGrady of Henderson county has been one of the senior legislators negotiating consensus to repeal HB2.

McGrady feels Charlotte's move to repeal its non-discrimination ordinance on the condition that HB2 is repealed by December 31 is political theatre, and unjust.

Nathan West, Buncombe county's GOP chair said the following in a statement to News 13:

This same deal of repeal was available prior to November's election. Gov-Elect Roy Cooper and NC Democrats met with CEO's from across the country working to hurt North Carolinians by boycotting North Carolina. They also worked behind closed doors to torpedo this deal until after the election. Now that Cooper has become Gov-Elect the Charlotte city council finds their way to doing what they should have done many months ago and repealing the nonsense that created the need for HB2 to begin with. The NCGA will now act as promised months ago.